Laughs, not money

A mistake spoken almost before he could think probably cost a Midlander "big money" on the TV game show "Wheel of Fortune." But a jovial gathering of family and friends Monday evening cushioned the loss with laughter.

Tony Winter, a financial consultant whose "Wheel" segment was taped Aug. 5, won $2,000 and came in third behind two female contestants. Winter, his wife Dawn, sons Carson, 4 and Parker, 2 1/2, mother Priscilla Winter and friends John and MO Bringard sat at Winter's house Monday and watched him take the loss. A couple of his college buddies, who watched "Wheel" 30 minutes before WNEM TV-5 aired it here, called to comment.

On the puzzle "knee high to a grasshopper," Winter made the mistake of asking for a D, and a competitor won a trip.

"That put me in the hole, like, seven grand right out of the chute," he said.

When it was time to solve "decorative wall tile," Carson yelled "yes!" when a competitor went bankrupt. Then, he scolded his father, who didn't even get a turn. Winter consoled himself by remarking that he "high-fived" the puzzle solver.

During a commercial break, Winter remembered how hot it was onstage the day of his taping. His tie, the "superhot lights," the pressure - all made him warm.

"I'm guzzling water and they're applying more makeup to me," he said.

He also reminded himself of reality. "I'm in a deep hole. I need to make something magical happen."

The letter D tripped Winter up again in the puzzle "made for television movie." Winter called for a D that already was on the board. The tougher of his opponents, Heather from Des Moines, got an R, 4 E's, three I's, three O's.

"Heather's a gamer," a solver, Winter said. At the end of the puzzle, Winter's only comment was an incredulous "ohhh!" that lasted a couple of seconds.

It all had happened so fast. He was looking at the puzzle, trying to figure out how much money he had, spinning the wheel.

As Winter's chances at success faded like a washed-out actress's face, he waxed philosophical about his $2,000.

"It's better than a sharp stick in the eye," he said. John Bringard remarked how Winter had set up two puzzles for his competitors.

Winter won't collect his winnings for 90 days, and he'll have to pay taxes on them before he collects them. He's not allowed to be on any reality or game show during the same period. No catapult into an acting career anytime soon, he joked.

For Carson, it was on to the next thing. He looked around for pencils and paper so his parents and guests could take a vote to expel someone from an imaginary "Survivor" episode.